


Sunshine Smile

by quellthefire



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 1940s, Boys In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Mild Angst, Military Balls are boring, Peggy is a badass and tells him to make a move, Steve is pining for Bucky, Steve is so gay for Bucky, Sweet, With you till the end of the line
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-11-12 13:38:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18011939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quellthefire/pseuds/quellthefire
Summary: “But that was before. Before I realized how I felt about him. It was easy to see him as a handsome guy who was my best friend. But the moment it clicked for me, things got all muddled. Suddenly he wasn’t just Bucky. He was Bucky with the big strong shoulders, and the smile that lights up a room. And Peggy, what am I going to do?”-Steve finally works up the courage to show Bucky his feelings, thanks to a little push from Peggy.





	Sunshine Smile

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another prompt from @e3105eb on tumblr. 
> 
> This is the 1940s Stucky fic I never knew I needed to write.

“What the hell am I supposed to do? He’s so pretty I think I’m gonna faint.”

Peggy gave Steve a reproachful look. “Since when do you curse?”

He looked slightly embarrassed, a flush of pink blooming on his cheeks.

“Since I saw Bucky in a tuxedo, apparently.”

Peggy nodded, and conceded, “There is something about a man in formal wear. But Steve, you’ve known Bucky for years, how is this all that different?” She took a sip of her drink, and nodded in Bucky’s direction.

He was halfway across the ballroom, clearly uncomfortable with being stuck talking to a fellow Sergeant. The man was a horrible bore, Peggy knew, and was probably droning on about changes to allotted military rations. 

Steve let out a whine, panic seeping into his expression. “Yeah, but that was before.”

“Before what?”

“Before I realized how I felt about him. It was easy to see him as a handsome guy who was my best friend. But the moment it clicked for me, things got all muddled. Suddenly he wasn’t just Bucky. He was Bucky with the big strong shoulders, and the smile that lights up a room. And Peggy, what am I going to do?”

She thought for a moment, and Steve could see the flash of a decision being made. 

Squaring her shoulders to face him, Peggy looked Steve dead in the eyes, speaking calmly and clearly. “You’re going to walk over there and save him from Sergeant Nelson, and he’s going to be so grateful that he’d want to kiss you.”

Steve sputtered in response “But, I—.”

“And then you’re going to tell him how handsome he looks and ask if he wants to step outside to get away from the crowd. And he’ll say yes, of course, because let’s be honest, no one really wants to be stuck here on a Saturday night.”

He laughed at that. It was absolutely true. These military balls were all a pretense. 

“Then you’re going to kiss him in the alley, and finally stop acting like an infatuated schoolgirl.”

Steve stared at her, full of wide-eyed awe. 

“And I, of course, will block the door to the side exit so no one bothers you. Understand?”

His thoughts felt sluggish, trying to grasp on to what she was saying. 

Peggy was fire and steel, with just a hint of a smirk in her eyes. “That’s an order, Captain. Do you understand?”

“Yes Ma’am.” He straightened his spine, heart thudding and stomach turning over and over. He was going to do this. He was going to rescue Bucky from an evening of stale work talk, and finally make a move. He drowned out the alarms in his brain with a single thought, repeated over and over. “Bucky.”

The words rang in his mind as he crossed the room, weaving through groups of people. He recognized a handful of them, but didn’t stop to acknowledge them. He had a mission, after all. 

Steve reached the pair, and Bucky’s eyes lit up as soon as he saw him. Peggy was right. Nelson was prattling on about uniform fabric, oblivious to the pained smile Bucky had pasted on. 

He tapped the Sergeant on the shoulder, and tried to even his voice. “Excuse me Sergeant Nelson, I need to steal Sergeant Barnes away for a while. Urgent matters, you understand.” He gave Nelson a weighty look, hoping it would impress him. 

“Oh, oh yes! Goodness, where are my manners?” Nelson gave a curt nod as he looked to Bucky. “Captain Rogers, Sergeant Barnes.” And then he was gone, off to bore someone else, Steve assumed. 

Bucky practically collapsed into Steve, failing to contain a giggle. “That poor man, Steve. He’s probably convinced that you’re heading off to punch Hitler in the face.” He howled with laughter, slapping Steve on the back. 

“I had to make it convincing.” 

“You scared him shitless, buddy.”

Steve stiffened at that word. Buddy. It reminded him that he really had no clue how Bucky would react to this. But he had to do it. It was now or never. 

He leaned in closer, so only Bucky could hear. 

“Every woman here has been eyeing you all night, and even some of the men. You clean up well.” Steve breathed in the musky warmth, and felt a little lightheaded. He forgot how good Bucky smelled. 

Bucky grinned sheepishly. “Nah, they were all staring at you. You just never notice that kind of thing.”

Steve’s eyes darted down to his friend’s. “I’m tired of being around people. You want to get some fresh air?” He gestured towards a side door, the very one that led to the alley. 

Bucky nodded eagerly, then scoped out who might notice them leaving. Everyone nearby seemed too engaged in their conversations to pay them any attention, and they slipped out of the ballroom without incident. 

Steve swore he could see a swish of cobalt fabric out of the corner of his eye as he walked through the door, letting it click closed behind him. 

The air was brisk, but not unmanageable, and Bucky let out a huge sigh, stretching out his shoulder muscles. “I feel like I can finally breathe. I don’t know how did all those press junkets and fundraising parties. One night of having to act fancy and I’m exhausted.” He leaned against the brick wall, opposite Steve. 

Steve swallowed, steeling himself for what he was about to do. 

“I always thought about you. I’d pretend it was you I was talking to.”

Bucky let out a surprised laugh, beaming like he always did when Steve was around.

“It was always you, Buck. No one else could compare.” Steve’s voice had gone quiet, softer and huskier than usual.

And then he was crossing the distance between them, head buzzing with static and he felt like his stomach had dropped out.

He reached Bucky, mere inches from him, and could feel his warm breath in the cool air. Bucky looked startled for a moment, and then relaxed, an easy grin forming. 

Steve reached out a hand, cupping his face, and kissed him. It was soft and gentle, and he could feel the slight scratch of stubble on Bucky’s cheeks. 

It was absolutely incredible. 

And then Bucky was leaning in, pressing up against Steve, desperate for more. The static in his head had stopped, and there was just him, and Bucky, and the wind chilling them. But Bucky was all warmth. Soft and hard in all the right places.

Bucky. His Bucky. 

They finally broke apart, panting and gasping to catch their breaths, and their eyes met, Bucky’s sunshine smile at full strength. 

“Well that was unexpected,” Bucky laughed as he spoke.

“But not unwanted?”

“Definitely wanted. I didn’t realize how much I wanted it until was happening. But yes, very wanted.”

“Good.” Steve stood there awkwardly, too aware of body. He didn’t know what to next.

“How long?”

“What?”

“How long have you felt this way? Towards me?”

Steve sucked in a breath, he hadn’t planned for what came after the kiss. He decided that honesty was the best decision. “A while. It just kind of clicked one day. Like a light switch. I always admired you, and wanted to be like you. You were always so handsome and charming. And then… this happened.” He gestured awkwardly to his body, which had changed so much after the serum took hold. “And I was different. But you were still my Bucky. Who’d stood up for me when we were kids, and would die protecting me. And I realized it was always you. I never cared about the women at dances because you were the only person that mattered.”

“That’s a lot of responsibility,” Bucky said, eyes gleaming. 

Steve bowed his head. “Is it too much to ask?”

And then it was Bucky who closed the distance, kissing him with an intensity Steve never could have imagined. “No. Not ever. You’re never too much. I’m with you till the end of the line.”

**Author's Note:**

> I almost ended the story at the moment Steve was about to go talk to Bucky, but I’m so glad I didn’t.


End file.
